SOUTH AFRICAN UNIONS FEDERATION BACKS RAMAPHOSA TO SUCCEED ZUMA AS ANY LEADER

The Congress of South African Trade Union (Cosatu), the country's largest labour federation, has called on Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to take over when President Jacob Zuma steps down in 2017 as president of the ruling ANC.

This is one of the resolutions adopted by the labour federation's Central Executive Committee when it met here this week.

Cosatu, which is a partner of the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) in the Tripartite Alliance, along with the South African Communist Party (SACP), says Ramaphosa is best placed to unite the ANC.

Cosatu General Secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali told a media briefing here Thursday after the central executive committee meeting: "After intensive and robust debate, the CEC resolved to support and lobby for the deputy president of the ANC, Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa, to take over the reins as the next president if the ANC."